‘Survivor’ Contestant Michelle Yi Describes Frightening Santa Monica Assault

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Former ‘Survivor’ contestant Michelle Yi, who goes by “Piper,” spoke exclusively to KPIX 5’s Betty Yu astir a vicious onslaught that whitethorn person near her with a detached retina.

“I ne'er thought I would beryllium the unfortunate of an onslaught similar this,” said Yi.

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The Season 16 favourite successful Fiji shared photos of her injuries from the October 14th assault. She was preparing to thatch her archetypal Pilates people of the time astatine a Santa Monica studio, erstwhile constabulary said 25-year-old Alexandria Diaz assaulted her.

“She had a rusty metallic saw successful 1 manus and a metallic tube successful the other,” said Yi. “She starts shouting much nonsense and really lunges into the workplace and stabs maine successful my near bicep with the knife, and past strikes maine doubly with the pipe. First time, conscionable striking my hand, shattering my watch, getting my fingers beauteous good, and past the 2nd clip conscionable consecutive implicit the head.”

The attacker deed Yi truthful hard it divided her eyebrow wide open, and she received stitches astatine the hospital.

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Police said Diaz had been reported missing from Fresno. She had assaulted 2 different victims moments earlier she attacked Yi. One of the victims was an older Asian man. Police added that the fishy was not connected her prescribed medications astatine the clip of the assaults.

Yi could not beryllium definite whether she was targeted due to the fact that of her race, but said:

“I deliberation that if I were a antithetic person, I’m not truthful definite she would person attacked me. I deliberation being an Asian pistillate and not precise ample successful size, it makes for a overmuch easier target, arsenic good arsenic the aged Asian gentlemen. You know, determination were different radical astir successful Santa Monica.”

Santa Monica Police are inactive investigating whether the onslaught was a hatred crime. Diaz has been charged with 3 counts of battle with a deadly weapon.

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Yi said portion she is doing amended physically, the affectional wounds volition instrumentality longer to heal. She is readying to instrumentality to enactment this week.